Harewood House hosted charity dragon boat races, in which 24 teams and 460 competitors took part for their chosen charities.

Staff from the house entered a team, which raised funds for St George's Crypt, the Leeds shelter for homeless people.

A full day of racing included several heats, with the first race starting on Saturday morning.

The final was won by a team called The Argonauts – captained by Jason, of course.

The team was put together at the last minute by Leeds man Jason Procter, having been on the competition's reserve list.

John Martin, of Harewood House, said: "They are a group of local lads who wanted to get together.

One team pulled out so they put a team together in 10 days – then went on to win."

The dragon boats weren't the only oriental attractions at the event.

On the sidelines, activities included lantern making, paper crafts, tai-chi demonstrations and unicorn dances.

Mr Martin said: "It was a stunning day – fantastic fun, lots of amazing sights and sounds and money raised for charity. Well done to everyone who took part."

Dragon boat racing is a traditional Chinese sport dating back 2,500 years.

In modern days China's annual Dragon boat race day in June has become a national holiday, with 50m people taking part in races across the country.

The sport has also spread beyond China. The Harewood House race was part of a Chinese-themed season being staged throughout 2008.